


After School Run In

by StrawberryRage



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Owari Magica
Genre: Owari magica - Freeform, Rose Run In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26783320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryRage/pseuds/StrawberryRage
Summary: Eva follows Toli as a chance to gain information, but maybe not quite the info she was expecting
Comments: 1





	After School Run In

**Author's Note:**

> Cockabeetle - 1,600 words = 1200 points + 5 Exp  
> StrawberryRage - 1,650 words = 1225 points + 5 Exp

Anatoli should technically be looking in alleyways, following Alexander's orders. But his curiosity, and Flow's insistence, has drawn him farther south than he should be, poking around an apartment building that used to house the only Vet in Seaford besides Belladona Cox. What can he say? Toli would have loved to meet a woman who managed to survive not only life as a magi without her eye, but also eventually her entire left arm. He'd only lost his hand, he can't help the wonder.The fluffier incubator has since left him to his poking around, but he keeps an eye out for her or Eb as he goes, holding his gem out with his remaining hand. Finding strong magic- what any remaining enchantments must be to have survived Vondila's death- is easy enough with it, but he knows he'll have to return to his proper task eventually. Wouldn't do to disappoint Alex, or especially Miss Rose.

Eva stretched as she exited school, trying not to get trampled to the rush of the other kids desperate to get out. Tired of the pushing, Eva made her way to the edge of the crowd before wriggling out to the side. Taking a second to catch her breath before headed to the sidewalk until something caught her eye. A blue haired guy who at first didn't look like much but after watching for a minute, Eva felt like he was looking for something and that was suspicious. She had half a thought to start tailing him but she stopped, he would see her and who knows how dangerous he was. Biting her lip she almost was just going to leave before she remembered what she learned. Eva went to hide at the side of the school, out of sight of the other kids, before pulling her bracelet off and pulling out her soul gem. She hesitated for a moment, she couldn't do it last time but maybe it was because other people were there? She checked on the guy, he was already starting to get farther away before Eva finally worked up the courage to try it again, placing her gem in her mouth and concentrating hard. Opening a eye Eva looked and saw..nothing! She did it! she mentally cheered before remembering her mission, taking off towards the guy before slowing down and quieting her steps.

Anatoli hadn't bothered trying to get inside to the building just yet, and wasn't really finding any evidence of strong magic pulling towards the building as he continued to look around. He glanced around, when his instincts flared the way having an unexpected visitor usually did, but... for once, no one seemed to even be watching him. How odd. Toli went back to looking around, thinking about asking after Vondila and her twin inside once he's gotten confirmation that she isn't currently in the building. His gem gave a tug away from the building, but Toli ignored it. It wasn't his job to find witches, right now.

Eva trailed quietly behind the stranger, hiding behind objects or ducking to the alley just incase she lost the spell. Holding the gem in mouth was a lot harder when moving around, especially when you are trying not to be found out. Finally as she had moved behind a mailbox, Eva spotted his soul gem right in their palm and almost choked on her own in surprise. He must have been one of the Magi that Percy had warned them all about, but what was he looking for? Eva had thought for just a second about retreating, telling Percy or somebody so they could deal with them but... If Eva could figure out what he was up to then she would be a great help to the team right? She convinced herself as she continued to follow the blue rose.

Toli let out a sigh, and made to head towards the entrance to the apartment building, when he heard a noise, like someone choking. He glanced around, and tried to spot anything out of the ordinary.

Eva followed before she found herself outside of an older apartment building, stopping before she got too close to them and waited. This place didn't look any special, unless maybe this is where they were all staying but then why would he need to use his gem to navigate? She froze though when he turned around, looking down to make sure she was still invisible and thank god she was.

A discolored bit of air gave him pause, but Anatoli shrugged it off for now. He could question that after he asks after Vondila and Salem Morson. The receptionist, or perhaps landowner, not that Anatoli cares either way, is kind enough to tell him he's got the right building. Though he's very clear in telling Toli not to go bothering Salem about her sister, it's a fresh wound to be losing someone who's been there her whole life. Toli wouldn't dream of bothering the woman about that, she's got enough problems anyway. He asks only if the man knows where Salem happens to be, or if he might be willing to tell her someone is looking for her. He agrees, though Toli doesn't give him a name to pass to Salem. Time to focus on other things, as Vondila clearly didn't keep her apartment safe the way she'd warded that Sanctuary.

Eva waited tensely as he searched around before finally heading inside. Eva mentally sighed in relief before hurrying towards the door, managing to slip in just before it closed on her. As she tiptoed and hid by a plastic plant, Eva had managed to catch the middle of their conversation but more specifically them talking about Vondila and Salem. Was this where they used to live then? What did he want with it, unless they were buying up all the Magi lived in residential areas. Those scumbags, first the sancturary now this? Eva began seething as she jumped to her own conclusions as she followed.

Toli thanked the man for his words, and headed back outside. He let out another sigh, and glanced back towards that discoloration he saw. And... saw no sign of it. Hm. He glanced around again, before tapping his throat to pull his gem away from the collar and use it to search again. Something interesting had to be around here, didn't it? He tapped his hook against the side of his gem, thinking and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. 

Eva followed behind, still angry as she trailed the Magi. She stood there waiting for his next move before she realized the saliva gathering in her mouth was too much. She scrambled for cover, ducking behind a small tree before spitting her gem out on the ground, coughing as she spit out the excess and wiped her mouth. Disgusting, surely there was a better way to use the spell. (5 - visible)

Toli heard the scrambling and coughing, as he'd been listening just as hard as he'd been looking around. He returned his gem to his collar, and frowned at the girl he found there.  
"Are you alright, miss?" How long had this magi been following him? Was she responsible for that discoloration he saw?

Eva froze at their voice before snatching her gem and shuffling backwards away from him. She was surprised a little at the lack of hostility he seemed to have but still glowered at him as she got up and dusted herself off, "I'm fine." She said curtly, she would have to find a chance to let someone know where she was.

Toli nodded once.  
"Of course. Were you looking for something?" He smiled slightly at her, tapping his chin with his hook.  
"Were you at the witch with the cliff? I think I remember seeing those pigtails." He offers her the hook, to shake.  
"Anatoli Dunkirk. Nice to meet you."

Eva's anger subsided a little, now more replaced with confusion. Why was he being nice to her? Were they not technically enemies... She looked cautiously at his hook, 10 different ways it could hurt her ran through her mind before she finally accepted the shake. "...I was following you. Which you've apparently been doing to us as well." she noted, she didn't know how they went a whole witch battle staying out of sight but that just meant another threat to the labyrinths now. "I'm Eva...Lu." she hesitated saying her last name but Anatoli using his well.. it only seemed fair to return the favor now. If they could track down Vondila's apartment they'd surely find out her name eventually.

"I wanted to know about a Vet who'd survived for any amount of time without her eye, Ginny couldn't do it so I can't help my curiosity. The fact she'd lost her arm as well just makes me more curious." He carefully takes his hook back, and tucks it into a pocket, to motion with his remaining hand.  
"I've been able to live without my hand for 3 years, but I couldn't exactly stay on top of everything. Do you understand? I'm here for personal reasons, even if I'm not in Seaford for personal ones."

Eva didn't know who Ginny was, must have been a fallen friend or a old member of their group. "...I didn't know her long but it didn't seem to effect her that much. Or she at least hid it well." she confessed. It didn't seem like that important information, especially since Vondila was gone. It couldn't be used against her at all. But the way he talked made it seem like he.. wasn't doing so well without his hand. "I don't think snooping around her old apartment is going to give you any answers about your hand, and neither is Salem." she said, putting her own hand in pocket with a grip on her phone. "Whether or not you wanted to come here you and your crew made it personal when you took our sanctuary away from us, it's sacred."

"I'm aware. I know Salem wouldn't answer my questions, I was looking for traces of Vondila's magic. Strong enchantments can outlast a magi's death, so any protections she might have laid here might have given me an idea of who she'd been as a person. But she didn't seem particularly worried about protecting the place, or they've otherwise been taken down since she died." He glanced at Eva again, and waves vaguely with his hand again.  
"I don't particularly agree with the decisions made in coming here, but it's not my job to lead anyone anymore either. I was thankful before, but..."

"Anything apart of Vondila, magic or otherwise would have gone with her... I dont think your going to find anything on her." She said, Vondila's arm surely wouldve been buried with her but she wasnt so sure about anything else. "Even if you aren't their leader, you can always leave them. They dont control you just as much as you dont control them." She argued, if he didnt like why they were here then why stay?

Toli shook his head.  
"It's not nearly so simple, I've been doing this for ten years. Where would I go? How would I keep going? How could I leave those I wished for? Just because I have not been made to despair like Ginny was in front of the Sanctuary, doesn't mean I can't be. I could never abandon... Alexander or his mother." Toli let his hand cup the gem dangling from the front of his collar, as he spoke.  
"Disagreeing with a couple decisions in the short term doesn't mean I disagree with our larger goals, either. And... well, I know we're doing this for the right reasons, even if your community might not believe those reasons could exist."

Eva stood there at a loss for words to tell him. Ten years was...a lot. She did get now how much harder it would be but she couldn't get staying in a group that would despair their own. "..What exactly is your goal? How could your goal be so good that you'd sacrifice your friends for, that you'd sacrifice yourself for!" she asked, with a slight demand for the answer. He was right, Eva couldn't believe there could be a reason for this, that there was any possibility they were doing something good.

"We are working to further the incubators' goals to the greater good. Energy must be harvested as we despair, to fuel the universe and keep it from collapsing. But... beyond that, that would be telling." Toli smiled a little.  
"We're all to fall one day, that is our inevitable fate. We learn of it as soon as our contracts are made, if not a little later. We live for as long as we have use, and are allowed to stop only when we can no longer stomach continuing, or are otherwise past our use. It's nothing personal."

Eva eyes widen as he spoke, they were working with the incubators? Did that mean they were no longer safe to talk to or trust? "How...How can you trust that? What if they're lying to you, how could you be sure the universe wouldn't just be fine!" she pushed. The incubators could stretch or void the truth to avoid telling you, so what's to say they don't threaten someone with the ending of the world just to fufill their goals.

"It's not my job to worry about that." Toli shrugged once.  
"I could spend time worrying, about the truth of Eb and Flow's words, or our actions, but... I do that already. My wish was to ease another's emotional burdens, so I took them for her. If their goals prove to be fruitless, and the world ends with our efforts proving futile, then fine. Our attempts at circumventing that were still made with good intentions. If the world truly never ends, and we never see proof, one way or the other, that the incubators' words are true... then good. It means we're doing as we're supposed to."

"So you'll just keep forcing Magi to despair on chance that the world could end...without even thinking about the lives your hurting. What about the ones who have families, non magi families and friends? What are you going to do about them when they wonder what happened?" she questioned jamming a finger in his direction, feeling the anger from earlier coming back. "Who said you get to decide when we die?"

"Those who work with us, we primarily have no families waiting. As for those of you, who made wishes on your own..." Toli frowned at her.  
"We won't push you to despair, at least without reason. But you should ask yourself... if you don't want to tell your family and friends... what is your weird little community going to do, when you fall? What will they tell your family, Miss Lu? Have you asked them? Do they have a plan?" He crossed his arms.  
"It was my job to inform and comfort Ginny's best friend of her death, I made sure he knew she was dead and could grieve her properly, in full knowledge of what happened. Can you say for certain your community would do the same?"

"They.." she started before her voice faltered. Her mom didn't know about Magi, she wouldn't get it like Ophelia's moms. If they didn't tell her then Eva would always be missing to her. "It's harder for non-magi to understand...but I know i trust them to make the right choice for me....I'm sorry you had to be the messenger for her but you can't judge our grieving processes when you let your own perish."

"Would you prefer we'd have forced her to keep going and then let her die in battle when she could no longer defend herself? She'd lost her eye and wasn't strong enough to keep going. She'd been on the edge of despair, and having her despair on the Sanctuary's doorstep as a way to wear your leader and others of your community down when we took it was.... useful, as a way to take the place, but she would have fallen no matter what we did. Why not let her help us one last time? Non-magi don't understand everything, no, but... they don't all need to." Toli pulled out his phone to check the map he'd originally been given by Alexander.  
"Ginny's best friend had invited her to his wedding to another woman, and that invitation was her last straw before she fell. I did not tell Jack as much, but... he knows she fell, and helped us take this place. He knows she's done us proud. He and his fiance will honor her and be happy as time goes on. You judging us when your community clearly doesn't seem likely to even tell anyone... are you sure it's me who should be questioning my colleagues, Miss Lu?"

"You could've helped her, If she was hurting you should have been there to help and talk to her about it! " Eva argued, gripping her phone to keep herself from lashing out. "You want to preach that you tell their families and friends what happens but it seems you didn't even have the guts to tell her friend that he was the reason, he gets to be happy because he doesn't have to live with the guilt. You can keep whatever delusions you have to make yourself think what you're doing is good but don't try to make me think that our group is bad for how we handle our problems!" This guy didn't seem to be budging on his stance and neither was Eva, but it was obvious he wanted her to question Percy and them.

Toli shrugged once.  
"One shouldn't throw stones if they live in a glass house, Miss Lu. You should have expected I'd turn your questions back on you. Do you have anything else you want to ask me? Anything else you want to say? I need to get back to doing my job." He put his phone away, twisting his hook around with his other hand, as if he were compulsively clasping his hands together in thought.

Eva clenched her fist, searching for whatever rebuttal she could find to throw back at him but drawing blanks in her flustered anger. This was all just a job to their group and Eva and them were the problem. It'd be better to just back off for now and let Percy know what she's found out, and especially what Anatoli was up to. "Just leave us alone!....Please" she knew that it was pointless to ask but if she made it clear they didn't want to be bothered then if they showed up again to fight, her hands would be clear of starting it.

"You have my word, I will not bother any of you, so long as you don't attack me first." Toli gave her a mock bow, and turned to leave.  
"Good luck with your own day, Miss Lu. I hope it remains pleasant."

Eva pursed her lips at his bow, it feeling like more like a false gesture but she wasn't sure. "You as well, Anatoli." she returned before taking a few steps back, watching him carefully before turning around and running off down the street. Eva took out her phone and messaged Percy of her encounter, she'd just have to tell him the details later, for now she just wanted to get home to her mom.

\-----------------  
Eva follows Toli as a chance to gain information, but maybe not quite the info she was expecting

ScienceNeedsANap Word Count: 1,600 = 800 points + 400 word count bonus = 1200 Points + 5 Exp

StrawberrySurprise Word Count: 1,650 = 825 points + 400 word count bonus = 1225 Points + 5 Exp


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